Thula Thula
Encyclopedia
Thula Thula Private Game Reserve is a private game reserve
situated in Zululand
, KwaZulu-Natal
province in South Africa
.
Thula Thula means ‘peace and tranquility’ in Zulu
.
. The first historic meeting between Shaka and his father, Senzangakhona, which set the stage for the creation of the Zulu Nation
. took place at the Nseleni River at Thula Thula.
The land became a game reserve
in 1911 and is believed to be the oldest private game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal
.
, and his wife Francoise Malby-Anthony. The reserve is the scene for Lawrence's book The Elephant Whisperer
which was published in April 2009. In March 2007 Lawrence also published Babylon's Ark
which tells of the rescue of the Baghdad zoo
, during the US lead Coalition invasion of Iraq.
, white rhino, leopard
, giraffe
, zebra
, nyala
, hyena
, crocodile
, kudu
, wildebeest
as well as other indigenous species. Over 350 species of birdlife has been identified, including raptors and vultures.
was asked to accept a herd of 'rogue' wild elephants from Mpumalanga
onto Thula Thula which were destined to be shot unless alternative arrangements could be made. The herd was housed in a boma
on Thula Thula but managed to break free and escape. The elephants were successfully tracked, recovered and transported back to Thula Thula. The story of their rehabilitation and Lawrence's subsequent relationship with the herd is told in his book The Elephant Whisperer
. The elephant herd, including Nana, Frankie and Mabula are still at Thula Thula.
Game reserve
A game reserve is an area of land set aside for maintenance of wildlife for tourism or hunting purposes. Many game reserves are located in Africa. Most are open to the public, and tourists commonly take sightseeing safaris or hunt wild game....
situated in Zululand
Zululand District Municipality
Zululand is one of the 11 district municipalities of KwaZulu-Natal province. The seat of Zululand is Ulundi. The majority of its 804,456 people speak IsiZulu . The district code is DC26...
, KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
province in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Thula Thula means ‘peace and tranquility’ in Zulu
Zulu language
Zulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population...
.
History
Thula Thula was once the private hunting grounds of the mighty Zulu Warrior, King ShakaShaka
Shaka kaSenzangakhona , also known as Shaka Zulu , was the most influential leader of the Zulu Kingdom....
. The first historic meeting between Shaka and his father, Senzangakhona, which set the stage for the creation of the Zulu Nation
Zulu Kingdom
The Zulu Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Zulu Empire or, rather imprecisely, Zululand, was a monarchy in Southern Africa that extended along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela River in the south to Pongola River in the north....
. took place at the Nseleni River at Thula Thula.
The land became a game reserve
Game reserve
A game reserve is an area of land set aside for maintenance of wildlife for tourism or hunting purposes. Many game reserves are located in Africa. Most are open to the public, and tourists commonly take sightseeing safaris or hunt wild game....
in 1911 and is believed to be the oldest private game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
.
Owners
Thula Thula is owned by international conservationist and founder of the Earth Organization, Lawrence AnthonyLawrence Anthony
Lawrence Anthony and raised in rural Rhodesia , Zambia, and Malawi, is an international conservationist, environmentalist, explorer, and bestselling author....
, and his wife Francoise Malby-Anthony. The reserve is the scene for Lawrence's book The Elephant Whisperer
The Elephant Whisperer
The Elephant Whisperer published in April 2009 by Pan Macmillan in London and in July 2009 by Thomas Dunne/St Martin's Press in New York, is the second book written by South African author and conservationist Lawrence Anthony along with journalist Graham Spence. It follows Babylon's Ark, the...
which was published in April 2009. In March 2007 Lawrence also published Babylon's Ark
Babylon's Ark
Babylon's Ark, The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo is a book written by South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony along with author Graham Spence...
which tells of the rescue of the Baghdad zoo
Baghdad zoo
The Baghdad Zoo is a zoo originally opened in 1971 and located in Baghdad, Iraq, in the al-Zawraa' Gardens area along with the Zawraa Amusement Park and Zawraa' Tower. Before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the zoo housed 650 animals...
, during the US lead Coalition invasion of Iraq.
Wildlife
Thula Thula is home to a wide variety of animals, including African elephant, buffaloAfrican Buffalo
The African buffalo, affalo, nyati, Mbogo or Cape buffalo is a large African bovine. It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, but its ancestry remains unclear...
, white rhino, leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
, giraffe
Giraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
, zebra
Zebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
, nyala
Nyala
The Nyala is a Southern African antelope. It is a spiral-horned dense-forest antelope that is uncomfortable in open spaces and is most often seen at water holes. Nyalas live alone or in small family groups of up to 10 individuals.The male stands up to 110 cm , the female is up to 90 cm ...
, hyena
Hyena
Hyenas or Hyaenas are the animals of the family Hyaenidae of suborder feliforms of the Carnivora. It is the fourth smallest biological family in the Carnivora , and one of the smallest in the mammalia...
, crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
, kudu
Kudu
The kudus are two species of antelope of the genus Tragelaphus:*Lesser Kudu, Tragelaphus imberbis*Greater Kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros- Etymology :...
, wildebeest
Wildebeest
The wildebeest , also called the gnu is an antelope of the genus Connochaetes. It is a hooved mammal...
as well as other indigenous species. Over 350 species of birdlife has been identified, including raptors and vultures.
Elephants
In 1999 Lawrence AnthonyLawrence Anthony
Lawrence Anthony and raised in rural Rhodesia , Zambia, and Malawi, is an international conservationist, environmentalist, explorer, and bestselling author....
was asked to accept a herd of 'rogue' wild elephants from Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga , is a province of South Africa. The name means east or literally "the place where the sun rises" in Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, north of KwaZulu-Natal and bordering Swaziland and Mozambique. It constitutes 6.5% of South Africa's land area...
onto Thula Thula which were destined to be shot unless alternative arrangements could be made. The herd was housed in a boma
Boma
The port town of Boma in Bas-Congo province was the capital city of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo from 1 May 1886 to 1926, when it was moved to Léopoldville . It exports tropical timber, bananas, cacao, and palm products...
on Thula Thula but managed to break free and escape. The elephants were successfully tracked, recovered and transported back to Thula Thula. The story of their rehabilitation and Lawrence's subsequent relationship with the herd is told in his book The Elephant Whisperer
The Elephant Whisperer
The Elephant Whisperer published in April 2009 by Pan Macmillan in London and in July 2009 by Thomas Dunne/St Martin's Press in New York, is the second book written by South African author and conservationist Lawrence Anthony along with journalist Graham Spence. It follows Babylon's Ark, the...
. The elephant herd, including Nana, Frankie and Mabula are still at Thula Thula.